Hoof-pad for horses.



No. 762,473. PATENTED JUNE 14, 1904.

. G. A. ELLIS.

HOOP PAD FOR HORSES.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 5, 1903. N0 MODEL.

WITNESSES. I INVENTDR.

Charla-5.7571 ZZi/J.

Patented June 14, 1904.

UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. ELLIS, OF IVARIVICK, RHODE ISLAND.

HOOF-PAD FOR HORSES.

SPECIFICATION forming" part of Letters Patent No. 762,473, dated June14, 1904.

Application filell December 5,1903. SerialNc. 188,912. (No model.)

To all whomit 177/((/]/ concern.-

Be it known that I, OHARLEs A. ELLIS, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of WVarwick, in the county of Kent and State ofRhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hoof-Pads for Horses, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in elastic or rubber pads adaptedto be secured to a horses hoof.

The object I have in view is to provide an inexpensive hoof-padpossessing at the same time a greater degree of simplicity andefliciency than pads of this class previously produced. My improved padalso possesses the added practical advantage that it maybe easily andquickly attached to or detached from the hoof and shoe at will and this,too, Without first adapting the hoof andshoe to receive the pad, thelatter when in use being securely held in position, thus-preventing itsaccidental de tachment, or, in other Words, my improved hoof-pad iscapable of being readily attached or applied when the shoe is alreadyfast to the hoof and as readily removed therefrom when desired, neitherthe shoe nor the hoof being in any way specially adapted or prepared forthe retention of the pad.

To that end my invention consists, essentially, of a rubber pad adaptedtofill the inner space of the shoe, clips secured to and projectingbeyond the peripheral edge of the pad adapted to be inserted between theadjacent surfaces of the hoof and shoe, and having the pad provided witha slit extending from the rear or heel toward the toe, whereby it may bebent or flexed while the pad is being attached or detached, all ashereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of ahorseshoe of usual construction detached from the hoof, showing myimproved hoof-pad in the normal operative position with respect to theshoe. Fig. 2 is a corresponding inverted or bottom plan view. Fig. 3 isa transverse sectional view taken on line in m of Fig. l; and Fig. 4 isan end elevation showing the rear or heel hoof or foot, to which issecured a horseshoe sof usual or ordinary construction. The said shoemay be provided with too and heel callzs, or they may be omitted, sincethe presence or absence of the calk in no wise affects my presentinvention. 7

Horseshoes as usually made are slightly beveled at the top contiguous toits inner edge, thereby when nailed to the hoof /1. forming a smallspace 0 between the adjacent surfaces, as indicated in Fig. 3-'that isto say, it is usual to prepare the hoof so that the outer peripheralportion of its lower surface will bear snugly against the upper side orface of the shoe, thus, as just stated, leaving a small open spacearound the inner periphery of the shoe. 7

My improve-d pad member a, of rubber or other suitable elastic orresilient material, is trimmed to conform to the inner shape of thehorseshoe and, practically {ills it, the depth or thickness of the padbeing preferably made to exceed that of the shoe, or at least the heelportion of it, so that When in use the frog of the hoof will bear uponthe yielding pad and insure that the corresponding portion of the latterwillengage the ground slightly in advance of the shoe.

The pad has a slit 0 out vertically there- .through and extending fromthe heel toward the toe or to a pointaboutmidway of the pad, as clearlyshown. At or near the heel the pad is provided with atransversely-mounted pin or guide (Z, one part being rigidly secured.therein, the other part, (Z. extending across the slit 0 and into acorresponding hole (Z This device formed in the pad therefor. serves tomaintain the two parts of the adjacent or heel portions of the pad inthe normal flat or horizontal position.

The pad is provided at or near the top with oppositelyalisposed thinmetal toe and heel portion of the pad bent or flexed preparatory l clips7) Z), respectively. These clips are permanentl y secured to or moldedinto the rubber and extend a short distance beyond the edge of the padand are adapted to enter the said space formed between the shoe andhoof, Fig. 3, thereby supporting the pad and keeping it in place.

In attaching my improved hoof-pad the operator first bends or depressesits rear or heel portion and inserts the forward or too part thereof(which is practically flat) upwardly under the frog of the horses hoof,(the latter being tei'n iorarily raised for the purpose.) He then forcesthe pad endwise, thereby at the same time causing the correspondingclips 7) to slide into the shallow groove or space 0. When the padengages with the point or toe of the shoe, the device will besubstantially as represented in Fig. 4, wherein the rear clips intemporary engagement with the inner edge of the shoe are adapted toswing down into position coincidently with the act of pressing upwardlyto its limit the separated or bent parts of the pad, thereby causing thepin (Z to enter the opposite side of the pad, thus completing theoperation, the device then appearing as represented in Fig. 1. The padmay be readily detached from the hoof by simply reversing the operationjust described.

I am aware that attachable horseshoe-pads of rubber have been producedprior to my present improvement. Therefore I do not claim such formerdevices broadly.

1 claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent- 1.As an improved article of manufacture, the removable horseshoe-padherein described, the same consistingof a pad member a of rubber orother suitable elastic material arranged to conform to and fill theinner space of the shoe, a longitudinal slit formed in the rear or heelportion of the pad, a transversely-arranged guide or dowel-pin mountedin the adjacent parts of said slitted portion, and short projecting toeand heel clips rigidly secured to the upper side of the pad and capableof being inserted between the hoof and shoe.

2. The combination with a horseshoe rigidly secured to the hoof of ahorse, of the attachable elastic pad (I, conforming to and filling theinner part of the shoe and covering the frog, the pad being held inposition by means of short toe and heel clips secured theretov andinterposed between said shoe and hoof, a longitudinally-extending slitor cut formed in the heel portion of the pad, and a dowel-pin or guidemember mounted in the pad adjacent the sides of the slit, allconstructed and arranged whereby the pad is capable of being readilydetached from or attached to the horses hoof and shoe without removingthe latter, substantially as described.

Signed at Providence, Rhode Island, this 2d day of December, 1903.

CHARLES A. ELLIS.

Witnesses:

Geo. H. REMINGTON, CALVIN H. BROWN.

